Silent Night
by alwaysALOHA
Summary: There's trouble at school and suddenly Dash is forced to shadow Danny for a day! What kind of mayhem and mystery will ensue? Read to find out. This is a sequel to Must Be.
1. Collisions and Shocks

A/N: Aloha, everyone! I hope you enjoy this sequel to Must Be because I am milking that story for all it's worth!

Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom.

……Casper High……

"I wonder where Danny is," Sam commented. It wasn't that odd for Danny to be hard to find, but his friends could never be sure what was keeping him: late homework, ghosts, or his mysterious job. Danny ran past, grinning and obviously unaffected by the high speed at which he was running.

"Get back here, Fenturd! I'm gonna tear you limb from limb!" Dash shouted, several feet behind his fellow senior. He was running almost at full speed and it was beginning to show. The group began to laugh…hard.

"Dash-baiting, apparently," Valerie gasped, unable to hide her amusement.

"Ya know, this could end up as a new sport," Tucker chuckled, though he knew that his best friend only did this to help Dash's would-be victims. Tucker had known since summer that Danny was far more than he let on, even to those who knew his Phantom secret.

Danny ran slow enough to keep Dash's attention, but fast enough to keep out of his grip. If the bully lost sight of him, he might go after someone else, and he couldn't allow that. Dash ran faster, hoping to catch the loser, so he could make him pay for challenging him.

The bearded bait screeched to a halt, just barely avoiding barreling straight into the principal, only to knock her down when Dash ran into him.

The quarterback got up panting, punching Danny in the back in the process. The halfa barely felt the blow and forgot to fake the pain. Instead, he got up carefully and held out his hand to help the principal to her feet.

"Are you okay, Ishyama-san? I-" cough "I mean, Principal Ishyama?" Danny flinched, that was getting to be a problem with him. He was _still _greeting people in the way that matched the origins of their surnames, whether they understood it or not.

The principal looked at her school's most infamous (because of his absences, tardies, and other disciplinary issues) student oddly as she took the offered help. As soon as she'd regained her balance, he went about collecting the papers that had been strewn across the hall because of the collision and handed them back to her in a neat pile. Uncannily neat. If any other student had done this, she would have suspected him of only doing it to get on her good side, Danny Fenton, however…was simply kind.

"I'm fine," she responded, narrowing her eyes at the two teens in front of her. "Now _what_ is the problem _this_ time, boys?"

"Sorry, Principal Ishyama, I-uh-heh baited Dash."

Helen Ishyama literally took a step back, stunned by the blatant truth. Dash rubbed his neck painfully, having turned his head far too quickly, with a mix of anger and bewilderment on his face.

"I was just trying to help," he whispered, looking away as though he'd forgotten everything and everyone else.

Helen felt like a fish out of water as she tried to say what she had to. She was tempted to let the boy off with a warning, but she knew out of fairness that she could not. She also knew that almost every time the boy had been caught leading Dash Baxter on a wild goose chase, it had been away from trouble that teachers had been too slow to stop themselves. _There has to be something I can do!_

"To the office, boys," she ordered as an idea crossed her mind.

……

"Now I have given you more leeway than I probably should have because I _thought_ you might deal with your problems like young gentlemen, but you've certainly proven me wrong. Starting tomorrow, Mr. Fenton, you will spend the day with Mr. Baxter, and the day after that, Mr. Baxter, you will spend with Mr. Fenton. I want you to _learn_ what each other's lives are like so that _maybe_ you'll learn to respect each other," the principal sentenced.

Dash looked stunned but angry as he clenched and unclenched his fists in his lap. That much, she'd expected. What she hadn't, was the other boy's reaction.

Danny's face had gone from startled to panicked within the space of a second as he pawed frantically at a strange medallion around his neck with shaky hands until he found purchase on the "C" on it.

She heard him whisper, "Time out," before he seemed to calm down faster than Helen thought was possible.

"Mr. Fenton, are you alright? Was it another heart attack?" the principal worried. This was not what she had expected at all. He hadn't seemed afraid of Dash, so what was wrong?

"I'm fine, really, it wasn't a heart attack, but-Principal Ishyama, _please_, I have work to do," Danny pleaded.

"The same one you grew a beard for?" she asked, he looked surprised, "Yes, Mr. Fenton, I know about that."

"And what about football?" Dash protested.

"You should've thought of that before," she told him, firmly ending the discussion. She gave them the details of the punishment more thoroughly, and then let them leave.

……Two days later……

Dash muttered angrily as he stomped up the steps to Fenton Works; he wanted nothing more than to get the day over and done with. _At least Fentoad stayed out of the way yesterday._

Danny had been a silent observer in the star quarterback's life, speaking only when he had to and zoning out so much that Dash began to think that the loser didn't have all his marbles. Dash yawned, it was just too early.

Jazz Fenton opened the door and admitted the shivering teen into the house, clutching her sweater to keep out the cold.

"I thought you were at college," Dash mentioned, confused.

"I am. I just came home this week since my parents are at a convention, and someone needs to make sure Danny doesn't work himself to death," she answered casually. "There's coffee if you want it, or hot cocoa."

"Hot cocoa?" he quirked an eyebrow.

"Danny doesn't like coffee," Jazz smirked, sitting at the kitchen table.

"How does he _survive?_" the jock gaped incredulously, but the redhead had stopped listening.

Instead, she was looking beyond him with a horrified expression on her face, "It was a _gag_ gift!"

"Ho ho ho!" Dash heard behind him, "Yeah and it's the gift that just keeps on giving…right back to you, _Sis!_"

The bully turned to see Danny Fenton wearing a long, elaborate red robe trimmed in white fur which looked like it came from the Middle Ages…or the 1970's. Dash really wasn't sure, all he knew was that it was the most embarrassing thing he'd ever seen Fenton wear, including the time they all wore those ugly orange hazmat suits to save their parents. He turned back to Jazz to see how she'd react to _that._

"What are you talking about? It doesn't bother me," she denied, but the twitch in her eye and her too-wide grin told a different story.

"Oh yeah?" Danny chuckled, "Tell that to the blush creeping up your cheeks."

Jazz got up slowly, looking at her brother. His smile vanished. His older sister took the dish towel off the back of her chair and started twisting it _very_ tightly with an almost evil grin on her face.

_Did he just fly out the door?_ Dash thought incredulously before an even crazier idea struck him, _And was Jazz _Fenton_ acting like…a _KID?

He heard a yelp and snickered.

……………

A/N: Hehehe! What do you think so far? How crazy do you think one day in Danny's life is going to get? How will he keep Dash from catching on? Tell me in a review and as alwaysALOHA!


	2. Lunch in Loserville

A/N: Aloha! Thank you all so much for the reviews!

Disclaimed.

……Amity Park……

"Dude, your car's a junker!" Dash complained disgustedly, having bumped his head.

"Yeah, I know," Danny said lightly, "but any nicer and it would just end up ruined."

Dash smirked, "So, you're a terrible driver."

Danielle scowled from the back seat, "No, Dash, wrong _again_."

Danny glanced back briefly before returning his attention to the road, "Actually, Dash, ghosts target us since our parents are ghost hunters. This junker saves us on repairs."

"Oh," Dash said, not really knowing how to respond to that. _Is that why he always runs from ghost attacks? To keep from being used against his own parents? But how does he know when to run? _

The bully felt guilty. After all, how many times had _he_ run from ghosts? What did _he _have to worry about? Doing well in football so he wouldn't disappoint his folks and getting into college didn't seem so bad anymore.

"Hey, Dash," Danny snapped him out of his reverie, "Come on, we've gotta check in with Ishyama before class."

Dash blinked, he hadn't realized they'd arrived.

When the boys entered her office, Principal Ishyama immediately saw the change in the star quarterback. He was scowling but he seemed to be thinking about things. She smiled; her plan was working.

"Good morning, boys," she greeted them. Their responses were mumbled but polite. "Mr. Baxter, what was this morning like?"

"The guy's a freak!" was the first thing that came out of the quarterback's mouth.

_Okay, maybe I was wrong,_ the principal scowled. "Mr. Baxter, please refrain from insulting Mr. Fenton."

"But the guy doesn't drink _coffee!_" Dash exclaimed as though it was an act against nature, "And he wears this weird robe!"

At this point, Danny seemed to lose the last of his restraint and started laughing uncontrollably.

Helen looked incredulously at the bearded teen. Had she been wrong about him?

Danny put his hand up as he tried to stop laughing and catch his breath. "I'm sorry, ha, I'm sorry. It's just, believe it or not, _Jazz_ gave me that robe last Christmas as a _gag_ gift. I've just been wearing it as a payback prank."

"How is a robe a prank? Besides being the ugliest thing in the world?" Dash couldn't help himself, curiosity got the better of him.

"…It makes me look like Santa Claus; she gave it to me because of the beard," he shrugged, though Helen noted that he looked uncomfortable saying _that_ much. She was relieved though: he wasn't a trouble maker, he was a teenager.

"Did anything else stand out about Mr. Fenton's morning routine?" she continued the interview.

Dash looked away, "No."

……Lunch……

Danny scowled as he led Dash to his usual table. The morning had, thankfully, consisted of only one conflict, but his relief ended there. Dash had been about to beat Mikey senseless when Danny interfered. He reminded the bully of their current predicament; to which Dash had retorted that Danny had to deal with it, too. This wouldn't have bothered the bearded teen in the least, except that he had snapped that he spent a lot of time with complete strangers.

Valerie raised a brow as she saw her former friend follow Danny grudgingly to them.

"Punishment for a good deed," the bearded teen said by way of an explanation, "So, what did I miss yesterday?"

"We ran into Ember, and then Skulker decided to make me his new prey. Blah!" Dani answered, disgusted. "Does he _always_ threaten to hang your pelt at the foot of his bed?"

Dash visibly cringed, "WHAT?"

The jock gaped at the losers in horror. He'd known they were freaks, but, geez, he never expected _this!_

"Sometimes it's 'Mount your head on my wall!'" Danny mocked the Ghost Zone's self-proclaimed-greatest hunter, though is tone remained casual. It seemed that this was an average topic here in Loserville. Dash lost his appetite.

It was several more minutes of sickening conversation before they started talking about something _normal_.

"So what was it like to sit at the _popular_ table," Sam sneered, glaring in their direction.

Danny looked crestfallen, "They were all hinting blatantly to each other about wanting the most expensive gifts they could think of. I mean, how selfish can they _get?_"

Tucker looked at his friend sympathetically, "Sorry, Dude, I know you're disappointed, but you had to have expected it."

Dash looked from one loser to the next, but they all seemed to have lost interest in the conversation. The only one who seemed to react was Danielle, who rolled her eyes.

"I expected _some_, but…" he shook his head, "I'll be right back."

"Alright spill, _geeks!_" Dash snarled, finally lashing out, "What's Fenturd up to?"

Danielle ground her teeth angrily. Tucker shook his head and scooted as far away as possible from the jock. Sam stood and gave Dash her darkest glare as if _daring _him to insult her boyfriend again, but it was Valerie who spoke.

"I doubt that you _care_, Dash, but Danny's a rare person," she defended her friend. "He isn't _up_ to anything; he just cares too much about people. Even if they don't deserve it."

The jock watched her talk to Mr. Lancer about something before stalking out of the cafeteria. He was very confused.

……roof……

"Hey Val," Phantom greeted, showing his uncanny ability to know where everyone is. His family and friends had long since accepted that it was just something he could do.

Red Huntress sat down on the ledge next to her once-enemy, "Hey. Wanna talk about it?"

"Nah," he smiled, glancing at his friend. Somehow, he seemed older.

_Who does he remind me of?_ she wondered, trying desperately to grab on to the name.

"I just needed some fresh air," the ghost-boy broke into her thoughts and the secret escaped her once again.

She nodded. _Maybe I'd better leave it be; it seems like something that should stay in with his family…and Tucker._ She smiled sadly at the idea. _Sam will figure it out, I'm sure, but then it's only a matter of time before she's family, isn't it? _

……after school……

"What was with you and your friends talking about ghost hunting? I thought that was your parents' thing," Dash asked as they trudged through the snow to the car.

"Yeah, well, it's a family business," Danny shrugged, hoping Dash wouldn't push the subject.

"You're even more of a freak than I thought, Fenturd!" Dash exclaimed, "You're just like your parents!"

Danny smirked, "Thank you. I'm actually quite proud of that."

The bully looked stunned at not getting a rise out of him.

"Where are we going?"

"We're stopping at my house to work on our homework and pick up my stuff for work," Danny explained, but his forehead was creased with worry. _Please let me pull this off…_

……………

A/N: Okay, so I know that this was a little more serious, but there will be more laughs, I promise. Anyway, what did you think of this chapter? Did you catch any possible foreshadowing for the next sequel? Are you mad that I left you with a cliffy? Tell me in a review, and as alwaysALOHA!


	3. TWO Danny's?

A/N: This should be fun.

Disclaimed.

……One hour after school……

"I thought you were getting drinks?" Dash scowled. The loser had only just left, and now he'd come back empty-handed with a smirk on his face.

"Get it yourself you lazy creep. I'm not your servant," he told him nastily. Dash spluttered with rage; he'd _offered._

The ghost-boy walked over and picked up the paper Dash had been working on, "Is this your homework?"

His smirk grew even larger as he quipped, "Pity you won't be able to turn it on, it looks like you might have _actually _gotten a passing grade."

Dash clenched his fists, "Watch it, Fenturd!"

The freak put the paper between his fingers, about to tear it.

"HEY!" a voice barked from the doorway.

_TWO Dannys? _Dash stared. The one holding his math homework paled and gulped nervously; while the one in the doorway holding the drinks looked _furious._

"Amorpho," the one holding the drinks threatened, "Ghost Zone. _Now._"

The jock watched as the Danny in front of him lost even more color until he became a faceless ghost with red eyes, a black trench coat, and a fedora. Amorpho dove through the floor with the real Danny's glare following him.

"Sorry about that, Amorpho likes to cause trouble," the bearded teen apologized, handing over a can of pop.

Dash just gaped at him.

Danny rolled his eyes, "_Please, Lancer _could take Amorpho; he's really not a threat."

The bully shook his head, "Not _that._ I kinda figured any ghost that listened to you was too lame to matter, but you didn't run! You _always_ run!"

"Dash, I'm a ghost hunter," he stated, "I run for _weapons._"

"Oh."

"Hey, you don't mind if I make a few phone calls, do you?" Fenton asked, taking out his cell phone. The very confused bully shook his head, still trying to make sense of everything.

Dash shook his head again to clear his racing thoughts and tried to go back to work, only to look up again when he heard his classmate speaking in fluent _Italian!_ The raven-haired teen paused in his conversation to write down some figures.

Two hours passed in which Danny made several international calls, speaking fluently in each language. The only clue the jock had was the one phone call that was in English.

"No, I told you…Look, I _know_ it sounds outrageous, but I can assure you I _do_ have the funds," Danny grunted in annoyance. "I know I sound young; I_ am_ young! ...This is not a prank, Mr. Cashin…I gave you the contacts, it's not my fault you didn't check them…I need those shipments in by Friday…I know it's the holiday season, that's why I need them so soon…Thank you, I'll be there."

"Geez! Since when do you know all those languages?" the bully stared at him incredulously, "And what'd you mean by shipments?"

"I know a lot of languages, Dash, because I had to learn them for work," Danny explained patiently. "As for the shipments, I work for a charity; they're toys."

"Toys?"

"Yeah," Fenton shrugged, but it was obviously important to him, "Not all parents can afford Christmas gifts like toys, so they give them practical stuff, like clothes and school supplies."

"Wow," he said, impressed, "Never thought I'd say this to you, Fenton, but that's pretty cool."

_Huh, maybe he has a chance at the Nice list, after all, _Danny mused.

"Just so you know, Fenturd, tomorrow it's back to normal."

Danny smirked, _Maybe not. _

After a quick dinner with Danny's sisters, the two boys left in the beat-up car that Danny shared with his younger sister.

"Where are we going now?" Dash asked, annoyed. Danny had refused to tell him at the house.

"The hospital," he responded, not bothering to look at the bully.

"The hospital's the _other way_, Fentoad," the jock sneered at his stupidity.

"I know, but I'd rather lose the tail, first." Fenton really was confusing.

"What?"

Danny rolled his eyes, "The Guys in White have been trailing me for the past year. Something about some stupid theory they have that I'll lead them to Phantom."

"Why would they think that? You're too lame to know Danny Phantom," he pointed out helpfully. Again, the pale teen rolled his eyes.

"They think that because my parents work with him on occasion, they know where he disappears to, and they don't," Danny answered, frustrated because he was thinking about how true it was.

"Still, why would they think _you'd_ be able to lead them if it's your _parents _that have worked with him?" Dash persisted annoyingly.

Danny frowned as he tried to figure out how to answer that without giving too much away, "I've, uh, worked with him, too."

The bully was too stunned to speak.

"When we get to the mall-"

"I thought you said we were going to the hospital!" the blonde snapped out of his daze.

"We are, but this car has a tracker, so I'm going to meet with Tucker to trade keys. Once we get in there, we're going to split up and meet at the South entrance in half an hour," Danny instructed, pulling into the parking lot.

Operatives O. and K. of the Guys in White watched as the two high school seniors walked into the mall.

"Why would he meet Phantom here? And why would he bring that other kid with him?" O. asked K.

"Maybe they mean to lose us? Or maybe they're just doing their Christmas shopping?" K. suggested thoughtfully.

"Why would they try to lose us? They don't know we're following them!" O. yelled decisively, "They're going to meet Phantom."

Danny glanced behind them to see the government hacks following "inconspicuously."

"Good, they're following," he muttered as he walked casually toward a kiosk selling knit hats and scarves.

"What're you doing? I thought-" Dash questioned, baffled once more by his fellow teen's actions.

"I don't know," Danny continued as if Dash had suggested a gift, "You think Jazz will like this?"

He held up a blue had that was an almost the exact color match for his older sister's favorite headband.

Dash sent a glare that clearly said that he would beat the smaller teen to a pulp for messing with him.

Danny smirked as he inspected the hat before finally deciding it was perfect and buying it. While the cashier rang up his purchase, he rubbed at his face to conceal his sweeping gaze. Although he normally let the government agents believe he was oblivious to their attempts, Danny felt like being a little impish, so he let his gazes linger on Operative K. just a second too long.

"Thank you and Happy Holidays!" the woman smiled widely as she handed Danny back his purchase. He smiled and returned the sentiment before gesturing that Dash should follow.

They walked until they reached the Santa greeting station in the center of the mall.

"Sorry about that; they got too close," Danny explained, muttering so that the white-clad agents couldn't read his lips, "Meet me at the South entrance in about twenty minutes."

The bearded teen started to head off toward Tech-Tonics, the cyber café where he would meet with Tucker, only to be stopped by a rough hand grabbing the back of his coat.

"Why do we have to split up to lose those guys? You going to ditch me so I get kicked off the football team?" Dash accused, eyes narrowed.

"No, Dash. If you'll remember, _I'll _get detention if I do, and, as you've already seen, I can't afford to lose the time. We have to split up because they won't follow you, and I really don't want to give up _all _of my secrets, either," Fenton explained impatiently. They had to _move_. "Look, can we talk about this later? We're kind of on a tight schedule."

"Right…"

"The South entrance is the one closest to Mick's Sports," Danny clarified for the jock while suppressing a smile.

……

The government agents watched as the boys separated: one went toward the South end of the mall while their target, Danny Fenton, headed towards the cyber-café only to veer off toward the restroom.

"I'm telling you, O., he looked right at me!" K. insisted, irritated that his partner refused to listen.

"It was just a coincidence," the older of the two brushed it off. "You blended in so well that he didn't even react."

……

Danny weaved in and out of the bustling crowd in the general direction of the rendezvous point where he would trade keys with his technology-obsessed friend. With a quick glance over his shoulder, he saw that the ghost hunters were in pursuit as expected. Pushing his way through the shoppers, the ghost-boy secretly sent a duplicate off in the direction of the restrooms while he invisibly followed.

Having successfully diverted their attention to the doppelganger, the still-unseen Danny turned his coat inside-out and his hair became grayer. When he walked out of the restroom, he was visible but had left most of his beard unseen so that it looked like a goatee. He couldn't help but smirk as he passed his pursuers undetected, and at that point, he recalled the duplicate.

……………

A/N: Hehehe! I really am mean to the GIW. And Dash. What did you think of Danny messing with K.'s head? And Dash's utter confusion? Were you entertained by Amorpho's torture? Tell me in a review, and as alwaysALOHA!


	4. Old Man Pickpocket

A/N: I _love_ this chapter! This should be done by Christmas.

Disclaimed.

……Mall……

"You know, I think I broke my record for losing them," the strange man joked as he sat down.

Tucker looked up, startled. "Sir, I- Dude, you're getting _way_ too good with those disguises! I didn't even recognize you until I realized what you said!"

Danny gave his famous laugh, "Nice, Tuck. Maybe we should think of some kind of signal for next time."

"Maybe," Tucker grinned, "So, how's the other shadow been?"

"A surprise, actually- _Time out_," Danny suddenly said, having finished the rotation on his medallion. Quickly, he traded keys with his inert friend. "_Time in._ Isn't that your teacher?"

Confused, the dark-skinned teen looked around. Not seeing anyone that fit the description, he turned with an annoyed frown to his friend, "I hate it when you do that. So, Dash really wasn't a problem?"

"No, and I feel bad because Amorpho made an appearance," the disguised teen grimaced. "He threatened to tear up his homework."

"Ouch. And what was his reaction to Amorpho fleeing from you?" he questioned with barely contained mirth.

"I told him Lancer could take him," Danny explained, shrugging.

"Lancer? C'mon, Amorpho's better than that!" Tucker snorted.

"You wouldn't say that if you saw his aim; it's so accurate it's scary," the ghost teen visibly shivered.

"I still can't believe you're teaching him how to hunt ghosts," his friend shook his head.

"Not _hunt, fight. _Danielle and I aren't going to be at school forever and he needs to know how to defend his students," Danny reminded him. "Sorry, I've gotta run! See you later."

"Bye," Tucker waved, but his friend was already out of sight.

As he walked through the holiday rush, Danny slowly let his disguise melt away, and he was reversing his coat as he reached Dash.

"Alright, let's go," he mentioned shortly to the jock without even stopping. Dash decided not to ask any more questions; the answers only led to more confusion.

For ten minutes, they drove in silence as Danny steered Tucker's old S.U.V. through the traffic-clogged streets.

"You're awfully quiet. Did I miss something?" the driver inquired.

"Why does it matter if they follow us to the hospital?" Dash asked, unable to bare the silence any longer. It was giving him too much time to think.

"Because they would have burst into the room with their guns out without even thinking about where they were, and I don't want them scaring people," Danny explained, putting the car in park and looking at the passenger.

"But why are we at the hospital, anyway?"

At this, Danny smiled, "You'll see."

After pulling out a large red velvet sack from behind their seats and getting out of the vehicle, Danny was a little kid again, and his excitement was contagious. Dash was a little slower getting out as he was wondering why _anyone_ would be excited to be at a hospital, but then again, this _was _Fenton.

Danny practically bounced through the hospital's doors, yet he still managed to stop and hold the door for a couple taking their baby home, "Happy Holidays!"

Dash trudged after his annoyingly mysterious classmate and couldn't help but notice that the staff in the waiting room, along with some of the patients, looked up and grinned at the bearded teen. He also watched as Danny nodded to the receptionist as though he knew her.

Both of the boys made their way to the elevator where Danny pressed the button for the level he wanted. When the elevator stopped, Dash moved to leave, but Danny just shook his head. It was at this level that an old man in a wheelchair was pushed in by a male nurse.

"Visiting day already? You're gonna spoil them rotten!" the nurse teased.

"I can't help it, Tom, I love seeing their faces light up," Danny smiled in greeting.

"You brought someone with you? That's a first!" Tom snorted. "Wait, I take that back, you brought your sister last year, right?"

"Yeah. Dash, this is Tom. Tom, Dash," Danny introduced them, "Dash is actually here because we got in trouble at school."

"_You?_ Since when do _you _get in trouble?" Tom scoffed, disbelievingly.

"What? Just because I dress up as an old man doesn't mean I can't cause trouble. Isn't that right, Mr. Valio?" he smirked, turning to the wheelchair-restricted man behind them. Mr. Valio snatched his hand back from Dash's coat pocket.

"Dratted psychic," the old man muttered as the bewildered jock searched his pockets.

"Yeah, and this 'Dratted psychic' also knows you got something, so hand it over," Danny held out his hand expectantly, though he couldn't quite suppress a grin for the old pick-pocket.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Mr. Valio denied, looking away.

Danny sighed exaggeratedly, "Mr. Valio, I don't want to get in more trouble because something got stolen from Dash. And you _know _I will, because I'll take credit for it."

Mr. Valio pouted, but conceded, "Conman."

"Ah ha, a glove. You're just causing trouble for the sake of trouble," Danny teased, holding it up, "Candy cane if you give me the _other_ glove you stole."

The elevator binged as its doors opened.

"NOT THIS TIME, COPPER!" Mr. Valio shouted, taking control of his wheelchair and zooming away.

Danny doubled over with laughter as Tom ran frantically after the eccentric old man. Dash was stunned.

"What," he finally uttered as the doors closed, "was _that?_"

"Mr. Valio likes to cause trouble," Danny chuckled in explanation. "Too bad for him, so do I."

At this, Danny held up _both _gloves, "It's just too bad I won't be there when he finds the candy cane instead."

"How?" Dash gaped. Fenton was _not _this confident, no _way. _

When they finally reached the floor that Danny wanted, they walked down a short hallway lined with doors. Some of these doors were open, giving Dash brief glimpses of the children who occupied them; he moved just a little faster.

"Danny, what are you doing here?" a voice inquired from behind the boys. Danny froze.

"Doc-tor Pavi!" he turned, smiling nervously. "What're you doing here?"

"I work here," Maya stated dryly.

"Right, um, but I thought…" he stumbled. This didn't make sense. He'd made sure to schedule this for her day off to avoid this.

"I'm filling in for Dr. Lee," she elaborated, amused. He was obviously up to something.

"Oh. Um, do you have an empty room I could, uh, change in?" he asked awkwardly, not meeting her eyes.

She pursed her lips, but nodded to a room before continuing on her rounds.

The loser smiled nervously and headed for the hospital room that the doctor had indicated. Dash waited and yawned tiredly. If he could say anything about Fentonia's day for certain, it was that it was tiring.

……

Danny sat on the hospital bed and just relaxed, but he could not rest long because he would fall asleep. He loved what he did, both as Phantom and as Santa, but it was tiring. There were times, even at his wondrous Workshop, that he wished to be normal again" just a teenager living his life, but then he would think of the good he's done. After that, it would be like the thought of normalcy had never crossed his mind.

"Hurry up, Fenton!" Dash bashed angrily at the door. He hated to be kept waiting. Danny sighed and got up.

Dash did a double-take.

In place of the awkward teenager that had walked into the room, Santa Claus strode out with the confidence and presence of someone with a great deal of influence. Though Dash knew the Fentons weren't wealthy, the suit he wore was by no means a rental. It looked lush as though it was made from the finest materials. The fabric was a dark red velvet embroidered with a simple design in slightly darker thread. The fur that lined the edges was pure white and could have been made from the softest of animals, though something made the quarterback think of faux fur. His belt was a matt black with a silver buckle and his boots were just as raven.

The only feature of this Santa that surprised Dash more was his face. _How did he change so much? _

His hair and beard were as white as Phantom's, and his eyes seemed to have aged a hundred years while still shining with youth.

"Dash," the mythical man turned to the jock, "please don't tell anyone about this; not even my parents know this is where I go after school."

"Whatever. Fine, I won't say anything," he shrugged, really not caring. Santa nodded, believing that Dash meant it. He then turned to enter the play room but thought better of it and faced Dash instead.

"When we're in there, just smile, okay? These kids have enough problems without you glaring at them," he requested quietly. He flinched when Dash tried, "Er, on second thought, just don't _scowl._"

Satisfied that the bully wouldn't scare the children, Santa bounced into the room with a big smile on his face. When the kids laughed at his goofiness, so did he.

……………

A/N: Next chapter is going to be the last! Maybe. I'm contemplating adding one more chapter. What did you think of Danny's conversation with Tucker? Did you love Mr. Valio? What about Danny getting caught by Dr. Pavi? Tell me in a review, and as alwaysALOHA!


	5. Doctorpatient confidentiality

A/N: Aloha! Welcome to the last chapter of "Silent Night!" I hope you enjoyed the ride as much as I did!

Disclaimed.

……Amity Park Hospital……

Quietly, Dash sneaked in behind the jolly man and found a wall behind the kids to lean against while he watched Fenton work. The kids were very excited and giggled every time Santa smiled. To his credit, Danny was very patient with those few children who were hesitant to sit in his lap and leaned in closely to listen to each heartfelt wish. He never betrayed any sign that he'd already had a long, busy day or that he was younger than the man he portrayed.

After only half an hour, Dash found himself relaxing and even laughing when a kid pulled at Santa's beard, without mockery. As he watched, the bully also felt distinctly uncomfortable as his conscience creaked back to life.

"Ho ho ho!" the teenaged Santa laughed as bedtime neared for the children. He listened closely to the last few Christmas wishes, the only kind immune to Desiree's spell, and got up to help the candy-stripers clean up.

"Dr. Lee! Dr. Lee!" a frazzled young nursing intern called frantically. She had to speak loudly to be heard over the piercing cries of the red-faced infant in her arms.

Danny rushed forward, "Dr. Lee's not here. What's wrong with him?"

"He has a-he-it's-there's a fever," the chocolate-colored girl looked at Santa with pleading eyes. "Who are you?"

Santa smiled, but said not a word as he gently accepted the baby she was releasing into his safe arms.

Dash stood amazed as he watched the guy he used to, (and there was no question in his mind that he never would again), bully rested the sick baby against his chest and sang a Christmas lullaby.

"Si-ilent night, ho-oly night, all is calm, all is bright…" Danny sang, letting the smallest measure of his ice powers cool the overheated child. It was as he finished the last calming note and the baby boy's eyes slipped closed that he felt her presence and looked up.

Dr. Pavi was picking her way slowly toward him, entranced. She had come to the room to help clean the playroom after the small holiday party. Her eyes, wide open and searching held his and he understood what this meant.

Santa smiled as he transferred the slumbering infant back to the intern's waiting arms then asked because he knew, "Doctor-patient confidentiality?"

Maya gasped and clapped both hands over her mouth. Not trusting words, she nodded, her eyes glistening with tears as she realized that he was confirming what she had just discovered. Santa Claus was real, and he was her patient.

Dash could not figure Danny Fenton out. Most of the guys he knew would be shouting it to the world about this, but Fenton kept quiet. He even doubted that this would show up on any applications. Strange.

"Dash, could you go wait out by the reception desk? I've gotta change," Santa requested and the teen boy nodded before leaving.

"What's going on?" Maya questioned. "How- I mean…Why don't you want anyone to know?"

"It's not as simple as I'd like it to be," Santa explained, sitting down. "But I'm beginning to understand why things are the way they are."

The dark-haired doctor sat down next to him and just watched for a moment as he pulled the hat from his head and rested his arms on his knees. They breathed in the comfortable silence just taking in the last few minutes.

Finally, Maya spoke, "How do you do it?"

Santa slanted his head toward her, frowning, "What do you mean?"

"How do you live three lives? How do you manage something like that? How do you do all that you do and still retain your sanity?" she rambled. She wanted so badly to understand.

"Honestly?" the young man raised his eyebrows. "I don't know. Sometimes, it feels like I'm gonna fall apart at the seams, but then I come here, or I save someone's life, or I-I see Sam smile, and I'm back on my feet again. It's just the way my life is."

Maya buried her head in her hands, and her body shook as she tried to steady her breathing.

Once she had regained control, Dr. Pavi expressed, "You protect this town, but we're not the only ones who need you. I'm not the best doctor in the world. What if something happens? What if-"

"Maya," Santa addressed her sternly. "Best is just a matter of opinion."

"But I-I'm not _qualified _enough. I-" she protested, overwhelmed.

"No," he barked, standing and looking into her eyes. "You're the _only _one _qualified_ enough. You're the only doctor I know of who can treat me not only as a human, but as a ghost and certainly the only one I trust."

He crouched down in front of her, "You haven't failed me yet. Danny Fenton, Danny Phantom, Santa Claus, _it doesn't matter._ I'm still the same person."

Maya smiled gratefully, her panic attack subsiding.

Santa smirked, "Well, I'd better get going: the Guys in White have finally caught up, for once. Probably got an _anonymous_ tip. Vlad's never gonna learn, is he?"

Maya giggled, her fears forgotten. He _was_ Phantom, he _was _Santa Claus, but he was also still a _kid. _It amazed her just how quickly he could switch between these identities for a moment before she remembered what he'd said just a minute ago: _Danny Fenton, Danny Phantom, Santa Claus, _it doesn't matter_. I'm still the same person. _

Santa smiled one last time before leaving to meet up with his classmate…and deal with the Fools in White.

"Where is Phantom?" the white-clad federal agent demanded, shaking the bewildered jock by the shoulders.

"I don't KNOW!" Dash shouted. A nurse poked her head from a room and insisted they keep quiet.

"Sure you do, Dash," Danny contradicted him, already back in his normal clothes. The quarterback looked horrified until Danny spoke up, "And so does every person in Amity Park, or so I thought."

At the agents' blank, angry stares he elaborated, "The Ghost Zone. It's where _all_ ghosts tend to stay during this season! At least _they_ have honor."

He knew it was a low blow, but the children had heard the fighting, and he could feel their fear.

"We're not done with you, yet!" Operative O. asserted, loudly.

Danny whipped around to face him and hissed, "_Look at where you are,_ and keep you voice _down. All _of you!"

Dash cringed, embarrassed for yelling, but the guy was in his face. What was he _supposed_ to do? Another wave of guilt hit him: Fenton had endured worse from him and not let out a peep.

Unable to find a comeback, Operatives O. and K. dragged the teenager between them after their quarry. Danny led them through the corridors, down a stairwell (he didn't want to be trapped in an elevator with them), and into the parking lot.

"Let Dash go," Danny requested. Seeing no reason to object, the Guys in White released their captive. He tossed the car keys to Dash, "Go wait in the car."

"Where's Phantom?" Operative K., the first to get his breath back, demanded of the Fenton boy.

"I already told you, the Ghost Zone," the irritated teen growled. Technically, it was the truth since he had sent a duplicate to the Workshop just after visiting with the kids, something he always did whole.

"Then take us to him!" O. snarled, fed up with the wild goose chase.

Danny rolled his eyes like any other contemptuous teenager, "The Ghost Zone is out of your _jurisdiction. _Besides, do you guys even have a warrant? You should, you've been tailing me for a year! I was still, legally, a minor until a few days ago!"

The government agents cringed.

"What makes you-?"

"I've known from the very _beginning!_ Stop following me," Danny ordered, sick of having to go out of his way. Finally, he turned away from the stunned agents, confident that they would not follow.

"What was _that?_" Dash gawked at him. He had been forced to follow Fenton around and had expected it to be extremely boring, only to find it extremely draining. Ghost hunting, making international phone calls, hospital visiting, and dodging government agents was a roster that Dash had never anticipated and despite seeing so much of Fenton's life, he still knew nothing.

Fenton could easily be the most popular guy at school if any of this got out, especially if people knew he'd worked with Danny Phantom, but he didn't. As the mysterious teen drove him home, Dash Baxter's thoughts whirred and jumped about without meeting up with anything but the image of Fenton singing "Silent Night" to that baby as Santa Claus.

……………

A/N: Hello folks! What do you think? Will the Guys in White finally give Danny and his family a break? Has Dash learned his lesson about bullying in general? Or just bullying Danny? Does Dash know? Do you think I am evil for leaving this with an ambiguous ending? Tell me in a review, and as alwaysALOHA!

P.S. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!


	6. Epilogue

A/N: Alright, I know it's been a long time and I already listed this as complete, but after going over this story and its reviews, I've decided to add this epilogue for better closure. Get ready folks, I'm leaving my comfort zone for you and writing in first person to make up for leaving it off the way I did. Here's to hoping I do well!

Disclaimed.

…

When Ishiyama sentenced me to two days dealing with that loser-freak Fenton, I thought I was ruined.

The first day was easy – all I had to do was live my life and let Fen-turd tag along. At least he remembered that his place was in the background. At one point it was like he wasn't even there and at lunch he was almost cato- cata- zombie-like.

But then it was _his_ turn and _I _had to follow the loser-patrol! It was so completely _not fair! _

It was bad from the very beginning, though he practically _handed _me the keys to his social death with that stunt he pulled with that ugly robe. Thing was, though, the look on Jazz's face when he did that was more than enough to keep me quiet.

The day just got weirder from then on.

At lunch, he and his geeky friends started talking about ghost-hunting and this one ghost's really nasty threats like they were just talking about a football game! I couldn't eat after that. The loser even had the nerve to complain about _my_ day and _my _friends! I couldn't believe it when he went off on his own – I thought he did it just to get me into trouble so I'd get kicked off the football team!

After school we did homework and the freak threatened to tear up my homework! Well, as it turned out, it wasn't Fenton at all but a shape-shifting ghost. I pretended that it was no big deal when the ghost disappeared on Fenton's orders, but it was. I mean, I know the guy said _Lancer_ could take it, but the way he was talking at lunch made me think he was lying.

Then there was that stuff about him working for a charity for kids at Christmas – I had to admit that was pretty cool, especially since he learned all those languages for it. Once he was done making, like, a hundred phone calls, we left for his work. It was so _annoying_ when he kept changing where he said we were going: the hospital, the mall, the hospital. I was so confused, even _after _he explained that the stupid Guys in White were tailing him, I didn't get it until he lost them and we'd made it to the hospital.

What really got me was the way he was with those kids when he was dressed up like Santa – and even with that freaky old man in the elevator: I wanted to be like _him_. It scared me more than when the Geeks in White caught me later that evening.

I couldn't wail on Fenton anymore, not after watching him sing that baby to sleep, because for that one moment, I believed in Santa Claus.

So, anyway, when Ishiyama sentenced me to two days dealing with that loser-freak Fenton, I thought I was ruined.

I was wrong.

…

A/N: Sorry there was no straight-forward answer as to whether Dash figured it out or not, but for those of you who really want to know, he didn't. I think that it's better that Dash learned his lesson and nothing more, though. Anyway, what did you think? Did Dash seem in-character? Did you like his reaction? Tell me in a review and as alwaysALOHA!

P.S. I have posted another sequel in the Must Be series titled Nuttin' for Christmas. If you liked this story, then check it out.


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